


Storms We Cannot Weather

by Arynphallia



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Drinking, F/F, F/M, Not Beta Read, Reminiscing, Sad with a Happy Ending, The Doctor Loves Rose Tyler, polycule
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-02
Updated: 2020-02-10
Packaged: 2021-02-28 06:40:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,131
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22519387
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arynphallia/pseuds/Arynphallia
Summary: It's been years since Jack has seen the Doctor and there's something so familiar about her new face
Relationships: The Doctor/Jack Harkness/Rose Tyler, Thirteenth Doctor/Jack Harkness, Thirteenth Doctor/Rose Tyler
Comments: 43
Kudos: 322





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Posting this today on the one year anniversary my first fic!

Jack sat down next to the Doctor with a groan. "You know, you could really use a jump seat in here. There's nowhere to sit down."

"There's obviously somewhere if you're sitting down, Jack." She replied and he relished the sound of her accent. He'd never admit it, especially not to the Doctor, but there were times he felt a fierce longing for his first Doctor. Pinstripes hadn't been bad though. And he certainly wasn't complaining about this one. 

The blonde hair was nice and her eyes were that lovely mix of brown and green that he'd always been fond of. But as they sat there together and he thought back on the adventures of the day, he remembered how her eyes had burned almost gold with excitement and passion. 

And something about it had been so familiar. 

But the Doctor's eyes burned like that no matter what body they were in, no matter the color. 

But that niggling sense that he was missing something obvious refused to be brushed away. He turned to look at the Doctor, taking her in, looking for what he seemed to be missing. 

She fiddled with her sonic, the concentrated look on her face was one he was intimately familiar with, but not from the Doctor and he finally saw it. 

"You look like Rose." He blurted out before he could stop himself, and wasn't that the story of his life. 

The Doctor froze, dropping the sonic. It bounced off the stairs and rolled across the room, stopping just under the console. She went to get it and he kept watching her, noticing how she moved; the way she tucked her hair behind just the one ear, the small frown as she concentrated, it all screamed 'Rose Tyler'

"Do I?" She asked and he'd known the Doctor long enough to tell she was trying to keep her tone neutral, but a little bit of hope broke through, tentative and fleeting. 

"Blonde hair and brown eyes?" Jack said, giving her his best grin, "You're almost the same height and you've picked up a few of her gestures."

The Doctor looked up at him and grinned, really properly grinned and Jack thinks his heart stops for a moment. It's not the tongue in teeth smile that Rose reserved exclusively for the Doctor, but it's definitely one of Rose's smiles. Probably the 'we need to run for our lives now' if Jack's remembering correctly. 

"Thanks, Jack." The Doctor said softly. 

She doesn't have to say it and he doesn't have to ask. They both know what she means. 

She comes back over to the stairs and sits next to him again, and they sit there, each thinking about Rose. The lights in the console room get dimmer, the once bright and cheery blue turning dark and heavy, and Jack realizes that the TARDIS is thinking about Rose too. 

Finally, the Doctor breaks the silence, "Why don't we go get a drink?" She suggested, "You're buying."

And Jack laughed for the first time in what's felt like weeks, memories centuries long gone and a fantastic trip to Cardiff swirling in his mind. "Alright, but I pick the bar. I know the perfect place for dancing."

***

In all the years Jack has known the Doctor, he's seen them drunk once. 

That, had been a complete accident caused by cheap Chinese food and a bottle of very expensive sake, okay, several bottles of very expensive sake. 

He hadn't had much of an outward reaction besides some loss of fine motor control. And he'd stared at Rose the entire time with a dopey smile. 

But right now? She's worked her way well past tipsy and is headed straight for drunk, with no signs of stopping. And Jack, who feels strange being the responsible one for once, encourages her to slow down but she's resistant. "I haven't been drunk in ages." She says, drawing her words out extra long. "The last time I got drunk was-" she freezes, face screwing up in concentration. "Donna. We were in, well, don't really remember right now, but the only thing they had to drink was this great punch. Had ginger in it. Donna kept warning me to not come on to her." Here, she snorted. "As if. Donna's brilliant but not..."

Jack watched her face carefully, noting the subtle changes that would probably tell him alot about her emotional state if he knew this bodies quirks better. "Rose was everything." He said so she wouldn't have to. 

She gave him a weak smile and nodded. "Still is."

They sat in silence, nursing their respective drinks for a moment. "Jack," she started, slowly looking up at him, "do you think I did the right thing?"

"What do you mean?" He asked. 

"I just... left her there with the metacrisis. I didn't even say goodbye." Jack watched her eyes start to cloud with tear. "It was the second hardest thing I've ever had to do. And the only reason I could it because it was what's best for her. But what if I was wrong?"

Jack chuckled, "Doc, I think, that if Rose wasn't happy with him, she'd probably be here to chew you out for leaving her behind."

The Doctor giggled and Jack felt his eyes go wide. He'd never heard her giggle before. "D'you think she'd slap me? Jackie slapped me once and I saw Rose do it to this tosser who wouldn't leave her alone. That slap is hereditary."

Jack hummed thoughtfully. "I think she'd be too shocked that you're a woman to remember to slap you."

"Oh that'd be a surprise for her." The Doctor finished her drink and laughed again. "'S nice not being a sad drunk. Last me got morose after two drinks. But he wasn't the most cheerful fellow to start with."

She stood up abruptly, balance still surprisingly good for how drunk she seemed. "Come on, let's go back to the TARDIS." Then she did something she hadn't done since his unfortunate immortality; she offered her hand to him. 

Jack tossed the rest of his drink back and took her hand, a thrill of delight chasing down his spine. The Doctor generally avoid touching him, something about him being a fixed point messing with her sense even worse during skin on skin contact. But apparently it wasn't bothering her now, because she laced their fingers together and grinned up at him, giving his hand a small squeeze. 


	2. Chapter 2

The TARDIS hums softly when they return. Jack takes his coat and wishes for one of the coral struts to toss it over. He settles for draping it on the railing. The Doctor seems to agree with him and does the same. "Come on, have something I want to show you."

Their hands come together again on their own and he lets her lead him deeper into the TARDIS. When they stop in front of a plain wood door, Jack has a feeling he knows where they are. 

She opens the door, gesturing for Jack to step inside so he does. 

A pang of longing shoots through his heart as he takes in Rose's room and the minor changes made to it. A short inhale reveals that it still smells like her after god knows how many years. He looks over at the mirror on the vanity, taking in the new photos that had been added since the last time he'd been in here. 

There's a burgundy bow tie draped over the mirror, just barely managing to avoid obscuring the photos. And there, poking out from under the bed is a pair of worn, cream colored chucks. The bed itself is neatly made, a feat Rose had never seemed to manage. The Doctor follows him in and shut the door behind her; on the back of the door are several jackets, the only two that he recognizes are his first Doctor's leather and the second's duster. 

Jack had the urge to say something, anything to break the silence between them. But every joke he can think of dries up on his tongue. He sat on the bed, taking note of the worn, silver ring on the nightstand and the battered pair of 3D glasses. God, if Jack didn’t know any better, he would think that Rose was still here somewhere and that she and the Doctor shared this room. But loss and grief hang think in the room like fog and the curve of the Doctor’s shoulders as she leans against the door is enough to dispel any hope of Rose actually being here. 

He pats the spot on the bed beside him, “Come sit down, Doc.”

She does, slowly making her way to him. And when she does sit, she sits much closer than any relationship they’ve had before would lead him to believe is allowed. Her head even tips onto his shoulder and he tentatively wraps an arm around her, wanting to provide the comfort she so clearly wants without spooking her. There’s a quiet sniffle that he ignores for her sake and then she starts talking. “This body is rubbish. Wants physical contact all the time.”

“Nothing wrong with a little physical contact, Doc. Oxytocin never hurt anyone.” He manages to joke and he can feel her smile.

“People get  _ ideas _ Jack. Think I’m after more than just an innocent cuddle.” 

Jack relaxed slowly, letting go of his wants. All she wanted was a cuddle. He could do that, hell, he'd relish the opportunity. "I'm always here Doc, no strings attached, even if I did finally buy you that drink."

"Thanks, Jack." She sighed and snuggled-  _ snuggled!!! _ \- closer to him. "Do you remember that week the TARDIS kept taking us to those weddings? All the different big group ones."

Jack grinned, "Those were great, some of the best parties I've ever been to and as I recall, you and Rose owe me several honeymoons."

The only reply he gets is a quiet snore. 

His breath catches in his throat for a moment before he reminds himself that he needs to breathe or she'll notice and wake. 

His first Doctor… well, Jack had never actually seen him sleep. And his second had done something closer to meditation than sleep during their time together on the Valiant. This, this is entirely new.

Her face has gone slack and he can't help but marvel at how much younger it makes her. He takes the opportunity to really look at her, while she's holding still and can't dodge his gaze. 

She really does look like Rose. It would be easy to mistake them for sisters when comparing them side by side. Although, that could just be Jack's memory starting to go. 

She shifts just a bit as he maneuvers her fully onto the bed, unlacing her boots and slipping them off in the process. He tucks them under the bed next to the converse before looking her over with a strategic eye. The suspenders at the very least need to go. They're hell to sleep in and Jack knows that from way too much experience.

They unclip easily and he drapes them on the bedside table before pulling the blankets up over the Doctor to tuck her in. He's not sure where he's supposed to go now. Hopefully the TARDIS will have his old room tucked away somewhere where he can find it.

But just as he started to pull away, the Doctor grabbed at his sleeve. "Stay." She mumbled, still half asleep. And Jack, well, he never had the hope of resisting. His boots and bracers join her's in their respective spots before he crawled into Rose's bed with her.

It's an interesting experience, curled up together in Rose's bed. Her absence doesn't hang between them like he thought it would. Instead, Jack finds it all too easy, almost like a habit to relax in a bed that still smells like Rose. And the Doctor is apparently  _ very _ cuddly this time 'round and Jack simply can't find it in him to resist. So he doesn't.

His eyes finally slip closed and as his mind quiets, he can imagine that Rose is there with them. The comforting thought of her presence is enough to relax him and he finally succumbs, following the Doctor into sleep.

When Jack wakes, it's with the Doctor snuggled against his chest and the shock of it nearly kills him. 

The pounding of his heart must wake her because she slowly blinks up at him as one of the most beautiful smiles he's ever seen graces her face. 

"Come with me?" She asks once she's put her boots and bracers back on, holding out a hand to him.

He takes her hand and gives her his most charming grin, "Always."


End file.
